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Sunday, February 28, 2010

The Swimming Pool by Holly LeCraw

This is a book I dove right into without needing to come up for air. Ms. LeCraw has packed the pages with enough sustenance to read the book in one sitting. (Ok, maybe just ONE of those Mint Juleps that Cecil is pedaling at the pool party would be welcome during the read)

I was lucky enough to get an advanced reader's copy of "The Swimming Pool" (TSP) through the Early Reviewers Group at LibraryThing.com. Apparently, when I request a book the LibraryThing search engine goes to work matching my previous tastes, based on my posted Library, to the books I request. According to said engine, TSP was a good fit for me. The engine proved itself to be quite reliable in this pick.

My partner, Book Lover, will also be quite happy to hear that my advanced reader's copy had NO reader's guide. We, consenting adults, in a free country are left to ponder the themes, characters, and plots all on our very own. I am wondering if all this free thinking could get us in trouble. Will we be tempted to talk about things that the author never intended? Will the book be subject to our own life stories and experiences instead? Will it end society as we know it? (A bit over the top, but still a concern)

TSP was full of lush characters that flew off the pages in three dimensions. Seeing yourself in Ms. LeCraw's characters is not always flattering but it is certainly revealing.

When I first saw the cover and the blurbs (I try not to read the blurbs but it's hard on an advanced reader's copy not to) I thought I was destined for some fluffy chick lit (no offense to chickliters) but this was not to be the case. The novel delves into the deepest of family secrets and how each of the characters is ultimately affected; whether a secret teller or a secret keeper.